Over 3 feet of snow still up at Paradise on Mt. Rainier

Itching to find some place that has still has snow in the middle of July? Just head up to Paradise at Mt. Rainier.The weather station there at 5,130 feet (which is near, but not right at the ranger station) typically runs out of snow on July 11, but not this year. According to UW Research Meteorologist Mark Albright, there are still 39 inches of snow there on July 11, 2012.

The latest melt-out in the past 29 years was last year, when it stuck around almost the entire summer, finally surrendering on Aug. 26. Albright says the pace of melting suggests the snow will last this year until about Aug. 5,which would be the second-latest on record.

We can credit La Nina, which typically brings a larger snowpack and has not disappointed the past two winters. However, with many signs now pointing to an El Nino winter for later this year, the odds of such a late melt-out occurring next summer are extremely low.